Source: Stephen Ross is pushing for Ryan Tannehill

Posted by Mike Florio on April 22, 2012, 8:59 PM EDT

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It’s unknown whether Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill will be selected with the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh choice in the 2012 NFL draft. If the converted receiver remains on the board at No. 8, it’s believed that the Dolphins will be inclined to take him.

On the surface, the decision would seem to flow from first-year offensive coordinator Mike Sherman, the architect of Tannehill’s transition to quarterback in College Station. But a league source tells PFT that the man pushing hardest for Tannehill is owner Stephen Ross.

Ross desperately wants to turn the page on yet another embarrassing offseason, which has seen the Dolphins fail to hire Jeff Fisher as coach and Peyton Manning as quarterback. They also whiffed on new coach Joe Philbin’s pupil with the Packers, Matt Flynn, even though it’s unclear whether the Dolphins decided they didn’t want Flynn or Flynn decided he didn’t want the Dolphins, or a little bit of both.

As mentioned earlier in the day, the season-ticket base has plunged to 30,000. The Dolphins need to create excitement, which in turn will sell tickets. Regardless of whether Tannehill develops into a franchise quarterback, the perception that the team finally has found a potential replacement for Dan Marino will suffice in the short term– especially since it will be the first time the Dolphins will have used a first-round pick on a quarterback since acquiring Marino in 1983.

Put simply, Ross needs to find a way for his team to stand out as it otherwise fades into the South Florida sports landscape. Tannehill will make a difference in 2012. If he fails, they’ll be no worse off in 2013 and beyond than they otherwise would have been.

That said, there’s no guarantee Ross will ultimately get his way. The story for now is that he’s pushing for Tannehill.

Usually, it’s a good idea to give the guy who signs the checks exactly what he wants.

UPDATE 10:59 p.m. ET: A “very, very, very highly placed source” with the Dolphins tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald that the report isn’t true. Should we have expected them to admit it?

Aside from the general problem of the owner influencing football decisions (hasn’t anyone learned from Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder?), the specific problem with this logic is that Tannehill is expected to make a difference in 2012. Off the field, maybe, as the Fins fans clamoring for a 1st round QB (a designation which denotes nothing in terms of future performance), but on the field Tannehill is a project who needs to develop for at least a year. If they draft him and start him this season they will have wasted their pick twice over by ruining their pick by starting him prematurely.

Talent needs to be evaluated by talent evaluators. Even they’re wrong most of the time, but Ross has no place in this process. If he continues to meddle, he’ll only prolong this long winter the Fins find themselves struggling to survive.

I would be worried if Sherman isn’t the one who wants him, I guess he did get fired from his job in part due to this guy. I think Ross should step aside and let the coaches and football people make this decision.

Just before the draft no one indicates what their team is thinking or will do! Unless of course to create a false sense of direction. Winning is the thing the Dolphins need to do this season and going with a QB in the first round who will hold a clipboard for a year will not allow for winning.

After the construction of the pyramids in ancient Egypt a Gold pyramid was placed at the “pinnacle” to reflect the brilliant light of the the desert sun. Like your steelers it remained at the top for many years.

But also like your steelers the golden pinnacle is now gone. Polish your rings and keep them nice because your not going to be getting another one for quite some time. For you to even post that comment on this article shows you know your relevance is depleting….

I didn’t bother reading the whole story because I just don’t believe all these ‘Reports’ from ‘Sources’ anymore. Just more Dolphins bashing from PFT. It’s all fodder to get people talking and in your case ‘clicking’ on the story like I sheepishly did. If this comment gets deleted it’s a disgrace after letting the Wacko with the long Steelers name post anything he wants. True Dolphins fans are being patient because our time is coming and all you will be able to do is play suck-up as we add to our already brilliant legacy. 10 years of lows will never replace all the highs since 1966. GO DOLPHINS.

I think Ross is completely lost as an owner, but the truth is sometimes you have to gamble and use a first round pick on a potential franchise QB. He may or may not turn out to be the real deal, but in QB-driven league you have to gamble sometimes. I agree with him this one time.

This is exactly the kind of thing that validates the notion that, despite what he says, Ross is as meddling an owner as there is in the league.
The Dolphins thought they were in bad shape because this guy has made a joke out of the organization in matters unrelated to football, then he began chasing hot shot coaches, and now he wants the hot shot qb everybody is talking about, without even knowing what the hell he is watching on tape or how long he is going to take to develop.
Classic meddling owner.

You want me to believe that drafting Ryan Tanahill at #8 will vastily improve my Team vs. keeping the QB’s I have now and drafting a DE or WR. THAT’s BS my friends. After Luck and RGIII…..that’s it…the drop off is too significant. This is not the year for the Fish to go after a franchise QB. There are too many other holes to fill than to be fixated on Tanahill.

Who is to say he won’t do good. No one knows how good or quick this man can pick up the playbook until he does it. Everyone is not the same so there is no need to compare him to Gabbert or the rest. He could turn out to be one of the best Qbs in the league for all we know . He will have his chance to put you haters to rest .

This kid sounds like Kyle Bowler two. One good season and all of a sudden he’s the next best thing. He will be flopped in the NFL. I guarantee you will not be in the league in four years. Ryan leaf Kyle Bowler Heath Shuler Ryan Tannell going down as sone of the worst draft picks in NFL history.

I actually think this would not be that bad of a pick… If QB is a position that every team “needs,” then the Dolphins might be stupid for passing him up. I realize this guy doesn’t have much of a resume, but let’s be honest, he switched from a WR to the most complicated position in the game. Better yet, he did it with quite a bit of success. If he can continue to make leaps and bound like he did through his position change, then it is safe to say he is a quality pick at the end of the top 10. Its as much about potential as it is about a sure thing. While many will disagree, I would also suggest they try for Braylon Edwards as well, perhaps on a 1 year contract with incentives.

Tannehill is NOT the answer and you don’t just draft a QB in Round 1 just to say you drafted one. Ross is a total goof and he will end up running the Dolphins into the ground. He needs to shut his mouth and keep out of any football matters. If Ireland drafts Tannehill then he is sealing his fate as GM and he may as well start pounding nails in his own coffin.

one thing people fail to address is the demographic change south beach has gone through. the influx of people from all over the country leaves the dolphins with a very shakey die hard fan base. if you couple that with their recent lack of success its not hard to see that selling tickets would be tough.

If Ross wants Tannehill then Ireland will draft him. Ireland won’t go against Ross. I’ll bet Ross only wants Tannehill because he likes Tannehill’s personality from wining and dining with him. Ross is fricken clueless when it comes to NFL talent.

Why waste a 1st round pick? Tannehill is a late 2nd/earlythird pick AT BEST. Why not take that first rounder and turn it into more picks in other rounds…oh wait…that’s what RATIONAL teams do. Sorry. Cary on!

can mel kiper have so many accounts on here? or is this a forum reserved for nfl team scouts? or are we just getting armchair analysis from a bunch of baristas and account managers on a guy who started 19 games in college, not one of which most of you have probably ever seen? just wondering

If there is anyone you want pushing for Tannehill is his former head coach/your current offensive coordinator.
There’s a reason Philbin didn’t push for Flynn. So if Sherman ain’t pushing for Tannehill, then just stop the f’ing pushing!!

I’m not a big fan of Tannehill, and the bust factor for QB’s in the first round is just under 50% since 2000. Having said that, finding a quality starter later than the 1st round is very rare…it’s happened nine times since 2000, and that includes the likes of Matt Cassel, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Tom Brady – all selected in the 6th or 7th round which would suggest they just turned out to be lucky picks. Brady and Brees are the only franchise level QB’s since 2000 to be selected later than the first round. In fact, it’s very rare to get a top QB any time after the 12th pick of the 1st round. Given the data, it seems like when you’re picking in the top 10, have a need at QB, and theirs a guy there who has a chance to be even decent, it makes sense to take a chance.

If true about Ross having a man-crush on Tannehill because it will put A$$es in the seats then its a terrible reason to draft him. Get players who fill needs and build a winner on the field of play not how they sell tix. Me thinks this story smacks of a trial balloon or someone throwing excrement upon the wall to create hype noise. Draft Tannehill if he’ll make you a winner now and in the long-term –that’s the only reason.

Got to be honest, if I were a Dolphins fan, I would want to trade the pick in order to add a couple young receivers, if they’re bad enough this year (strong chance) Landry Jones can be picked next year.

donramis says:
– Ross problem has not been targeting the right people (Harbaugh, Fisher, Gruden, Cowher and Manning, but closing them. No one can argue with his list.
===================================
Really! former majority owner Wayne Huizenga targeted and got Jimmy Johnson, Nick Saban and Bill Parcells. All of them took the money and ran without finishing the job they were hired for. Each big name coach was given full control but left the Miami Dolphins. So much for star power!

I love how so many people are on here saying that Tannehill is not the answer or that he’ll be a huge flop, etc. etc.

The truth is, none of you has any clue whatsoever if this guy will be a viable NFL QB or not – none of you.

Who knows? Maybe he won’t do anything worthwhile in the league, maybe he will. But please, you idiots, stop pretending like you do know, that you’re somehow privy to knowledge or information that none of the rest of us are.

Another dolphins bashing thread…whiff, dumb…dammit can it be another teams turn to have one of these threads? Let us breath until at least after the draft.my goodness this is sad..guess there isn’t much news to write about these days hugh

1) I love all the people taking something reported by an anonymous source and treating as if it were written in stone (because we all know that anonymous sources, especially when talking about what players NFL teams are targeting just before the draft, are always correct).
2) For those fellow ‘Phins fans claiming that Miami needs to get an immediate starter with the #8 pick: suppose, for a second, that Tannehill DOES become a franchise QB (note I’m not saying he will, just that it’s possible). Considering how many times the ‘Phins have come up empty in that area since Marino hang up his shoes, would it be worth waiting a year for him to develop to finally acquire one?

I hate when people say we should wait for Barkley next year…..next year the pundits will have a million things to say about Barkley starting with his height and so on and so forth. NOBODY knows if Tannehill will be good….but he did look ok this past year and has been known for quite a while now by real college fans but fell behind the large shadows of Andrew Luck, Rg3, Barkley, L Jones and others. Back in October he was rated by many(NFL.com) as the #1 Senior QB in the nation but due to his broken foot at the end of the year most of you knew nothing about him being that you only pay attention to the Senior Bowl and combine. He is a rare talent that NONE of us have ever seen before because of his position switch. Just remember that Bill Walsh often drafted players that “HE” liked regardless of what people thought. Montana was drafted in the 3rd round and lacked size and arm strength. I think we all know how good Montana turned out.

Don’t believe the hype – its a sequel
As an equal, can I get this through to you
My 98’s boomin’ with a trunk of funk
All the jealous punks can’t stop the dunk
Comin’ from the school of hard knocks
Some perpetrate, they drink Clorox

Honestly, if you believe any ‘rumours’ this time of year, you need your head examined. Mis-information is flying everywhere. Heck, if I were the Dolphins and didn’t want Tannehill, I’d be putting it out there that we want to trade up to get him, just so someone else will jump up out of fear. Believe none of the rumours.

I love the conviction of some of the posts on here proclaiming that this guy or that guy is a bust. The fun of the draft is you have no idea who is going to be a stud and who isn’t. How many people thought Tom Brady was going to be what he is or Joe Montana? Tannehill is a inexperienced qb who needs to sit and who know maybe he becomes a franchise qb or maybe he sucks the fact is none of us know. It’s all a crap shoot. I think it’s just as much of a risk taking RG3 maybe even bigger because Washington gave up what they did the fact is we don’t know how good any of these players are. I think Tannehill has ability and without question needs to be coached up. That is the thing with these kids they all need coaching. They aren’t finished prospects and that is usually the difference between a stud and a dud. Having said all that I would like to say that Stephen Ross is a pain in the a**

I once heard an expert, who was farely successful at predicting qb talent, say that a good indicator of wether or not a college qb would be a success was the number of starts in college. i believe the cut off was 30. Those who had 30 or more starts had better careers than those with under 30. Peyton Manning had more than 30 starts; Mark Sanchez had only 16. I’m not predicting Tannehill’s success, but he only had 19 starts.

Who’s he going to throw to? Who’s going to block for him on the right side of the line? You don’t take a qb that is a project & needs time to develop at #8 overall when there are so many holes you need to fill. At #8 you need to take an impact player that is going to start day 1. This team has no plan & is run by a clueless owner & gm.

1. The Dolphins passed on Flynn. They offered him half of what Seattle gave him.
2. There were a handful of other teams who failed to get Peyton Manning as well. Not just the Dolphins.
3. The Dolphins ended up getting the better coach by not hiring Jeff Fisher.
4. You didn’t even provide a legitimate source that suggests Ross is pushing for Tannehill in the first place.

“Usually, it’s a good idea to give the guy who signs the checks exactly what he wants”

Really???

Jerry Jones, Al Davis(RIP), Dan Snyder. These owners have a lot to say on personel for their Teams. How’s that working out for them?

Ross needs to SHUT the … up and let the football people run the team. If that doesn’t work, get better football people. Would you like to know how to get season ticket holders back? Beat the Pats and Jets…oh and the Bills (they’re much better now). If you build it(a good team), we will come back.

people have been crazy hard on Ross, but he’s doing the right thing: he’s telling his staff “get players, transform the team, money isn’t a problem”… that’s no different than what the Krafts and Maras are doing…

the problem is, Ireland doesn’t seem to be able to do his job…. he doesn’t get the players or staff he tries for… and the team continues to languish…

as far as Tannehill… the Phins need to get a long term franchise QB, and Moore may be that guy (he played great last year with a ton of drops and an almost last place offensive line)…..

but reality is: draft picks are always speculative and overpaying to move up is foolish…. just pick the best QB available….

This is hilarious. The folks on here suggesting Tanny should be drafted will be hanging Ireland in effigy if the fails to become a franchise guy and the same group will be wanting his job if he passes on Tanny.

The anti-draft Tanny group will be hanging him in effigy because he listened to the owner. This guy is screwed no matter which direction he goes. You can’t please all the people all the time, but Ireland can’t please anyone anytime…

Tannehill was converted from QB to WR and then back to QB. His experience is low and his maturity when under pressure is questionable but his arm strength, athletic ability, size, speed, etc. are very good. The system and coaching will make this kid a boom or bust (as with most QB prospects). If the staff believes he has the right stuff to be a franchise QB, then I don’t see the problem with taking the kid @ #8.

No college QB had more passes dropped by receivers than he did. (not sure if it is lack of a “catchable” ball or poor receivers) He is deceptively mobile and has a good arm. If he has the brains to accurately read disguised coverages he could be very good for the Dolphins.

The Dolphins will be using a version of the west coast offense. No superstar receiver is required in that type of offense. A great player can’t hurt but the system is built on spreading the ball around and finding the open receiver rather than ensuring the diva gets a specific number of targets. Sure, the receivers are far from superstars but they are capable. In that offense, chemistry is more important than above average talent.